Ofsted inspections - Clarifications for Schools

Ofsted inspections - Clarifications for Schools

Ofsted has recently published information to schools to try to dispel some of the myths about inspection with the aim of reducing stress and unnecessary workload in schools. But the recent changes to the Inspection Framework continue to cause understandable anxieties.

Whilst the ‘clarification’ document highlights actions currently undertaken by some schools that are not required by Ofsted, it is up to individual schools to determine their practices and for leadership teams to then justify these to inspectors. This in itself can give rise to uncertainties about what inspection teams are looking for as evidence to validate the leadership team’s self-evaluation particularly as inspectors are now encouraged to use their own ‘professional judgements’ when making decisions.

To support Senior Leaders to address these issues in a practical and supportive way, Best Practice Network has arranged a series of briefings and workshops led by Ralph Batten. Until very recently Ralph was Assistant Director of Inspections for Serco and responsible for training the inspection workforce.

Our briefings will go into more depth about the following important clarifications:

  • Lesson planning - inspectors look for evidence of the effectiveness of planning rather than the form or style it takes.
  • Self-evaluation - inspectors look for robust and secure self-evaluation rather than any specific format.
  • Grading of lessons - inspectors grade teaching over time, not the quality of teaching for individual lessons.
  • Lesson observations - inspectors gather evidence when observing lessons. This evidence is captured on evidence forms (EFs). The briefing will explain how inspectors do this and clarify how schools themselves should undertake lesson observations.
  • Pupils’ work - inspectors recognise that the amount of work in books will depend on the age and ability of the pupils. They do not expect to see unnecessary or extensive written dialogue between teachers and pupils in exercise books and folders. Ofsted recognises the importance of different forms of feedback. The key question for inspectors is to gather evidence as to how feedback is used to promote learning.
  • Evidence for inspection - inspectors do not expect schools to provide evidence for inspection beyond that set out in the inspection handbook. Inspectors take a range of evidence into account when making judgements, including published performance data, the school’s in-year performance data and work in pupils’ books and folders. Inspectors do not expect performance and pupil-tracking data to be presented in a particular format. Such data should be provided in the format that the school would ordinarily use to inform leadership decision making.
  • Monitoring of teaching and learning - Ofsted will expect to see evidence of the monitoring of teaching and learning and its link to teachers’ performance management and the Teachers’ Standards. This should be the information that the school routinely uses and not additional evidence generated for the purposes of inspection.

This clarification from Ofsted is both helpful and timely. Our briefings will go into further depth on these points and also consider some other areas that are of concern to school leaders, such as how inspectors form judgements on:

  • Pupils’ preparation for life in modern Britain.
  • Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development (rather than provision) and how British values are promoted and secured
  • Developing behaviours for learning
  • The impact of teaching of literacy
  • How leaders and governors pursue excellence
  • The impact of the use of Pupil Premium to close the gap
  • The focus on safeguarding and the implications of the Trojan Horse enquiry.

Sign up today for a briefing near you.